Billiard cue handle assembly



March l2, 1968 J. Moms BILLIARD CUE HANDLE ASSEMBLY F'iled Sept. l5, 1965 United States Patent O 3,372,932 BILLIARD CUE HANDLE ASSEMBLY John Molis, Box 3915, Baytown, Tex. 77520 Filed Sept. 13, 1965, Ser. No. 486,935 6 Claims. (Cl. 273-68) This invention relates to billiard cues, and more particularly to improvements in handle assemblies for billiard cues.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved billiard cue construction which includes a handle containing adjustable weight means so that the billiard cue may be efliciently balanced for optimum use, the construction involving relatively simple components,

eing easy to assemble, and involving relatively few parts.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved billiard cue handle assembly which involves inexpensive `components, which is durable in construction, which is comfortable to hold, and which provides irnproved precision in use of the associated billiard cue.

lFurther objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE l is a side elevational view of an improved billiard cue embodying the structural features of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a bottom plan View of the billiard cue of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary elevational view of portions of the handle assembly employed in FIGURES l to 3, with the parts shown in separated positions.

FIGURE 5 is a transverse vertical cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 5-5 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged rear end elevational view of the billiard cue of FIGURES 1 and 2, showing the handle butt member.

FIGURE 7 is a transverse vertical cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 7-7 of FIGURE 3.

Referring to the drawing, 11 generally designates an improved Ibilliard cue embodying the features of the present invention, the billiard cue comprising an elongated tubular slotted stem member 12, a hollow tubular handle member 13, and a tapered mid-section 14 secured between the handle member 13 and the stem member 12. The handle member 13 is provided with the rubber butt member 15 and the stem member 12 is provided with the relatively soft deformable cue tip 23 which may be of leather, or the like. The stem member 12 is provided with a pivoted support and guide leg 37 which may be swung outwardly to an operating position for pivotally and slidablysupporting the cue on a billiard table or for providing a support for the cue under other conditions. When not in use, the leg 37 may be swung inwardly to an inoperative position, such as that shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, the leg being provided with a U-shaped base 40 whose side legs clampingly-engage with the stern member 12 to yieldably clamp the leg 37 in said inoperative position.

Molded in the mid-section 14 is the axially-extending tubular core member 31 which is threadedly-engaged in the inner end portion of the stem member 12 in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 3, the reduced end portion of mid-section 14 being formed with an annular seat or recess 32 which receives a substantial length of the stem member 12, as shown, the stem member being locked in the recess 32 by the threaded engagement thereof with the end of tubular core 31.

The larger end of the tapered mid-section 14 is formed with an annnular seat which receives the right-end p0rtion of the tubular handle member 13, as viewed in FIG- URE 3, the wall thickness of the tubular handle member 13 being such that its outside surface is substantially flush with the outside surface of the mid-section 14 adjacent to the annular shoulder 51 dened by seat 50.

The butt member 15 is formed of rubber, or similar resiliently deformable material, and axially-secured there to is a metal rod element 54, the end of the rod element 54 being vulcanized in an laxial bore or recess 55 formed in the butt member 15 and being further secured therein by a radially-extending locking pin 56 which projects into an annular recess 57 provided in the: butt member 15, said recess 57 surrounding and being coaxial with the bore 55 and opening at one side of the butt member, namely, at the right side thereof, as viewed in FIGURE 4. The recess 57 is of a diameter and width to receive the end portion of handle member 13, which is made of suitable rigid plastic material, or of similar tubular rigid material, the left-end portion of handle member 13 being formed with a T-shaped slot 58 having the transverselyextending head portion 59 anda longitudinally-extending stem portion 60. Whenthe butt member 15 is engaged around the end of the handle member 13 with the left end of the handle member substantially fully received in the recess 57, as viewed in FIGURE 3, the outwardly-projecting end portion of the pin 56 is engageable in the straight slot portion 60 as the butt member 15 is moved to the right relative to the handle member 13, as viewed in FIGURE 7, the pin 56 finally reaching the transverse slot portion 59. The pin 56 may be moved into either of the end portions of the transverse slot element 59 by rotating butt 15 relative to hollow tubular handle portion 13.

The rod element 54 is provided with a reduced threaded end portion 61 which is threadedly-engageable inside the left end of tubular core member 31, as viewed in FIGURE 3. The left end of mid-section 14 is provided with a conical recess 63 to facilitate the engagement of the threaded portion 61 with core 31. Thus, in connecting the butt portion 15 to the remainder of the assembly, the rod 54 is inserted through the tubular handle member 13, with the handle member 13 engaged in the seat .50, the reduced threaded rod end 61 being guided through the tapered recess 63 into engagement with the internal threads provided inside the left-end portion of tubular core 31, as viewed in FIGURE 3. As the reduced threaded portion 61 engages with the internal threads in core 31, the pin 56 engages in the straight slot portion 60, holding the butt member 15 against rotation relative to the tubular hollow handle 13. Thus, the butt member 15 and the handle 13 are rotated as a unit relative to the mid-section 14, until the threaded rod portion -61 has advanced suiiiciently in the core 31 to bring the pin 56 into the transverse-slot portion 59. This fully seats the left end of hollow handle sleeve 13 in the annular recess 57 of the butt member 1S and also fully seats the right end of hollow handle sleeve 13 against the abutment shoulder 51 of mid-section 14, as viewed in FIGURE 3. Butt member 15 may then be rotated slightly relative to hollow handle portion 13 to move pin 56 laterally into locking position in either end of the transverse-slot portion 59.

Designated at 70 is a sleeve member of relatively heavy material, such as lead, or the like, which is mounted on the metal rod 54 and which is normally slidable thereon. The member 70 serves as a balancing weight which may be adjustably-positioned at any desired location in the handle member 13 along rod element 54 and may be locked in said position by the provision of a set screw 71 which is threadedly-engaged radially through the intermediate portion of the weighted sleeve member 70. The weight member 70 may be adjusted on the rod 54 and locked in adjusted position thereon by means of set screw Patented Mar. 1,2, 1968 71 prior to the assembly of the handle portion of the billiard cue, as above-described.

The rubber butt member 15 is provided with the outwardly-facing central exterior recess 72 which thereby defines an annular cushioning rib 73 extending around the rear end of the butt member. The cushioning rib 73 serves as a cushioning means which prevents loosening of the parts of the billiard cue when the billiard cue is set down on the oor in upright position, as when it is being placed in a storage rack, or in the event it is dropped so that it engages the floor with considerable impact.

As will be readily understood, if it should be desired to disassamble the handle, for example, for re-adjusting the position of the weight member 70, the parts may be disengaged by following a procedure reverse to that abovedescribed. Thus, butt member 15 is rotated slightly with respect to handle member 13 to center pin 56 in the transverse-slot portion 59. Thereafter, the butt member is pulled slightly and the handle and butt member are ro tated as a unit relative to the mid-section 14 to unthread member 61 from tubular core 31. The pin 56 then travels through the straight portion 60 of the T-shaped slot 5S until the rod member 54 is disengaged from core 31, after which rod 54 and weight 70 may be withdrawn from the tubular handle member 13.

While a specic embodiment of an improved billiard cue handle structure has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as dened by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A billiard cue comprising an elongated stem member provided at one end with a cue tip, a tapered midsection threadedly-secured to the other end of said stern member, ahollow tubular handle mounted on said midsection, said handle being formed with an end slot, a butt member engageable on said handle, rod -rneans secured to said butt member and threadedly-engaging said mid-section, and radial pin means on said butt member received in said end slot.

2. The billiard cue of claim 1, and wherein said butt member is formed with an annular groove receiving the end of the handle, said radial pin means projecting into said annular groove.

3. The billiard cue of claim 1, and a weighted sleeve adjustably-mounted on said rod means inside said hollow tubular handle.

4. The billiard cue of claim 1, and wherein said midsection is provided with a tubular metal core, one end of said core threadedly-engaging inside the stem member and the other end of the core threadedly-receiving said rod means.

5. A billiard cue of claim 1, land wherein said end slot is substantially T-shaped.

6. The billiard cue of claim 1, and wherein said stem member is of tubular relatively stiff metal.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 529,731. ll/l894 Gschwendtner 273-68 574,693 1/1897 Webster 273-68 1,062,816 5/1913 Burwell 273-69 1,705,353 3/1929 Barrett 273-68 ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner.

R. J. APLEY, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A BILLIARD CUE COMPRISING AN ELONGATED STEM MEMBER PROVIDED AT ONE END WITH A CUE TIP, A TAPERED MIDSECTION THREADEDLY-SECURED TO THE OTHER END OF SAID STEM MEMBER, A HOLLOW TUBULAR HANDLE MOUNTED ON SAID MIDSECTION, SAID HANDLE BEING FORMED WITH AN END SLOT, A BUTT MEMBER ENGAGEABLE ON SAID HANDLE, ROD MEANS SECURED TO SAID BUTT MEMBER AND THREADEDLY-ENGAGING SAID MID-SECTION, AND RADIAL PIN MEANS ON SAID BUT MEMBER RECEIVED IN SAID END SLOT. 